Indiahas faced technology denial yet again. With restrictions on access to frontier AI models such as Anthropic Claude's Fable 5 and Mythos 5 for foreign nationals, India has effectively been shut out of some of the world's most promising AI systems.

Ironically, these restrictions were imposed by the US administration within 15 days of India's induction into Project Glasswing. The initiative, led by Anthropic, gives select organisations and countries controlled access to the Mythos model to identify cybersecurity vulnerabilities and help strengthen its safety. With access to Mythos 5 now restricted, the future of India's participation in the programme remains uncertain.

The implications extend beyond research. India is one of the world's largest global delivery centres for technology services. The country's $290-billion IT industry comprises global IT services firms and around 2,100 Global Capability Centres (GCCs). Restrictions on access to frontier AI models directly affect the Indian IT industry and India's position as a preferred technology delivery hub. If a client requires work powered by Fable 5 or Mythos 5, that work will have to be executed outside India because Indian technology professionals and companies will not have access to these models. In that sense, this is technology denial in its truest form.

However, this is hardly new for India. In nearly 75 years of independence, the country has rarely been handed advanced technologies on a platter. Except for a few partners such as Russia, India has often faced restrictions on access to cutting-edge technologies from developed nations. Although globalisation over the past three decades has eased some barriers, technology transfers have remained selective and strategic. History shows that India has often turned such setbacks into opportunities. When ISRO was denied cryogenic engine technology in the 1990s following US intervention, it embarked on the difficult task of developing the technology indigenously. Years later, that effort enabled India to launch heavy satellites on its own and cement its position among the world's leading space powers.

Similarly, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) encountered repeated technology denials during the development of its missile programme. Working with institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and public sector enterprises like BEL, DRDO overcame these challenges and helped transform India into a globally recognised missile technology power.

India has also demonstrated its ability to build world-class digital public infrastructure. The success of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is proof of the country's capability to create scalable, secure and globally admired digital platforms.

Viewed in this context, the latest restrictions on access to frontier AI models should be seen not merely as a setback but as an opportunity. India should use this moment to accelerate the development of indigenous AI models and strengthen its digital sovereignty. After all, the rapid progress of AI in the United States has been driven in no small measure by the contributions of Indian engineers, researchers and entrepreneurs. Indian technology professionals are among the world's best in artificial intelligence and machine learning. The country possesses the talent, research ecosystem and entrepreneurial capability needed to build sovereign AI models. Rather than remaining a consumer of technologies developed elsewhere, India should aspire to become one of the world's leading creators of frontier AI.